A minor · no sharps or flats
Chords in A minor
A minor has no sharps or flats, and its notes are A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Its seven chords are Am, B°, C, Dm, Em, F and G; with sevenths, Am7, Bm7♭5, Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7 and G7. The dominant players actually use, E7, comes from harmonic minor, so all three minor scales are below.








Natural minor
The key signature's own notes. Its v is minor, so it has no leading tone.
| Degree | Triad | Seventh | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Am7 | Tonic | A C E G |
| ii° | B° | Subdominant | B D F A | |
| III | C | Cmaj7 | Tonic | C E G B |
| iv | Dm | Dm7 | Subdominant | D F A C |
| v | Em | Em7 | Dominant | E G B D |
| VI | F | Fmaj7 | Tonic | F A C E |
| VII | G | G7 | Dominant | G B D F |
Harmonic minor
The seventh raised a semitone, which makes V major and V7 a real dominant.
| Degree | Triad | Seventh | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | AmMaj7 | Tonic | |
| ii° | B° | Subdominant | B D F A | |
| III+ | C+ | Tonic | ||
| iv | Dm | Dm7 | Subdominant | D F A C |
| V | E | E7 | Dominant | |
| VI | F | Fmaj7 | Tonic | F A C E |
| vii° | Dominant |
Melodic minor
The sixth and seventh both raised, as the melody climbs to the tonic.
| Degree | Triad | Seventh | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | AmMaj7 | Tonic | |
| ii | Bm | Bm7 | Subdominant | |
| III+ | C+ | Tonic | ||
| IV | D | D7 | Subdominant | |
| V | E | E7 | Dominant | |
| vi° | Tonic | |||
| vii° | Dominant |
Hear where home is
Two short progressions in A minor. The last chord of each is the tonic, and the chord before it is what makes it sound like arriving.
Cadence
- Ami
- Dmiv
- E7V7
- Ami
Minor ii V i
- iiø7
- E7V7
- Am7i7